Apparatus for applying protective coatings



June 18, 1935. H. A. coNLEY APPARATUS FOR APPLYING PROTECTIVE COATINGS Filed Nov. 7, 195o 2 sheets-Sheen 1 v. Il

June 18, 1935. H, A CONLEY 2,004,978

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING PROTECTIVE COATINGS Filed Nov. v"f, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

A fram/Ey,

Patented `lune 18, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE APPARATUS FOR APPLYING PROTECTIVE COATINGS Application November 7, 1930, Serial No. 494,063

9 Claims.

My invention relates to means for applying protective coatings to objects, and relates particularly to a device for applying a protective coating containing a binder and protective material which is applied in a liquid or semiplastic form and becomes relatively solid upon cooling or when exposed to the atmosphere.

A protective coating which may be used in the practice of my invention contains a tar such ground rock and sand. This mixture is extensively employed for protective coatings on pipe lines to prevent rust, corrosion, and electrolytic destruction of the pipes. One method of applying this protective coating is to heat a mixture thereof so as to reduce it to plastic state, and to apply it to the surface to be protected by use of trowels or means of a similar character.

My invention comprehends a mechanical device which forms the mixture and applies same to the pipe in continuous operation. In the preferred practice of the invention the materials are delivered separately to an applying head wherein the materials are mixed. This applying head is equipped with means for throwing the ingredients onto the surface to be protected in the form of a coat. When a material of solid or semi-solid character such as asphalt is to be used as a binder the material is heated in a 30. container and delivered in fluid condition to the applying head. The aggregate, which may be any suitable divided substance, such as gravel or crushed rock, is conveyed to the head through a separate conduit where it is combined with the uid asphalt and batted onto the surface to be coated by means of a rotary batting member contained within the head.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device for applying a heated or adhesive substance, and it is a. further object to provide means for intermixing another material with the heated or adhesive substance.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having flinging or batting members equipped with means for preventing the material which is being applied from adhering to and piling up on the surfaces of the flinging or batting members.

Itis an object of my invention to provide a device of this character having means for heating the ilinging or batting members so that when materials of the character of tars or asphalts are handled, such materials. will not stick to the surfaces thereof, and it is a further object of the invention to provide means -for as asphalt and an aggregate consisting of finely applying a lubricating substance, such as water or a hydrocarbon liquid, to the surfaces of the ilinging or batting members to prevent sticking thereon of materials of adhesive character.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character having a batting member with hollow blades and means for applying heat to the inner surfaces of said hollow bladesin order to heat such blades to accomplish the results above set forth.

It is a further object of the invention to heat the blades of the batting member by use of electrical elements contained therein.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of the above character having a container for a viscous material, and means for heating the conduit by which the material is carried to the applying head.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be readily cleaned so that the materials ofl adhesive and viscous nature employed therein will not harden in the conduits or passages and clog the sarne. When the apparatus is shut down after a period of operation, this cleaning means 25 is employed to clean out the various conduits so as to leave them in condition for an immediate resumption of operation at any desired time.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be made evident throughout the following part of the specification.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is an elevational View showing equipment embodying my invention and illustrating the manner of its use.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the applying head employed in the preferred form of my invention.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on a plane represented by the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross section on a plane represented by the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a partly sectioned fragmentary detail showing a portion of the conduit for carrying heated or adhesive material from the container to the applying head.

My present invention employs some of the principles disclosed in my application Ser. No. 479,113, entitled Means for applying plaster materials, filed September 1, 1930, which terminated in Patent No. 1,918,799, issued July 18, 1933, and is an improvement thereon.

As shown in Fig. 1, the invention provides a manually operated applier Il having an applying head I2 equipped with a suitable handle I3 so that it may be held by a workman I4 in position for applying a protective coating I5 to a pipe I5 or other object. The invention also includes a vat or container I1 in which a binder, such as tar, asphalt, or an adhesive liquid, may be placed. A pump I8 is connected to the container I1 by piping 20, this pump being adapted to force the binder material through a conduit 2I to the passage 22 in the applying head I2. A hopper device 23 for containing an aggregate or granular material which is to be combined with the binder and applied to the pipe I5 in the form of a protective coating I5, is equipped with a delivery member 24 having a motor 25 for driving it in such a manner that it will continuously deliver the granular or aggregate materials from the hopper 23 to a flexible conduit or hose 28 which extends to the pasage 21 of the applying head I2, it being a feature of the device to carry the granular or aggregate materials through the conduit 25 by means of afblast or flow of air which is introduced into the conduit 28 from an air hose 28 through an injector 28 situated at the outlet of the delivery member 24. As indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the hopper 23 may have compartments 30 and 3l for containing granular materials of different size. For one type of coating sand is placed in the bin 30 and a gravel is placed in the bin 3i, these two materials being intermixed by the delivery device 24 andcomblned with the air stream flowing through the hose or conduit 28. The vat or container I1 is equipped with heating means. for keeping the contents thereof in heated or fluid condition, if the same is of a character which requires reduction to fluid state. For such purpose I show a burner 32 fed with fuel from a pipe 33 through a valve 34.

Referring especially to Figs. 2, 3, and 4. the

1applying head I2 includes circular side plates 35 and 38 having bearings 31 and 38 axially formed therein, and a cylindrical member 40 which partly encloses a cylindrical chamber 4I within the head I2. Mounted in the upper end of the head and between the upper edges of the side plates 35 and 35 is a delivery member 42 comprising a body having the passages 22 and 21 therein. In the head I2 is a means for moving materials from the head to the article or object to be coated with such materials. This means includes a shaft 43 which is supported in the bearings 31 and 38 and has a gear 44 on its leftward end adapted to be driven by a pinion 45 mounted on a shaft 48 which extends from a motor 41 situated at the lower end of the handle I3. On the central portion of the shaft 43 is a. rotary flinging or batting member 48 consisting of a cylindrical hollow body 50 having hollow radial blades 5I projecting outwardly therefrom so as to form flinging or batting blades. Within these blades are insulating bodies 52 having electrical heating elements 53 therein. The central and rightward portion of the shaft 43 is hollow so as to form a chamber 54 through which wires 55 and 55 may be carried from collector rings 51 and 53 mounted on a ring 58 of insulating material carried on the rightward portion of the shaft 43. From conductors 55 and 58 individual wires 4I and 82 are carried through holes 83 in the shaft 43 and the hub 50 to the ends of the heating element 53.` In position for engagement with the collector rings 51 and 55, brushes 54 and 55 are supported in a body of insulating material 88 carried in the side plate 38. The hollow parts of the rotary member 4l are closed by an end plate 81 secured in place by screws 8l which thread into holes formed in radial walls 10 of the hub 50.

As clearly shown in Fig. 2 the delivery member 42 is preferably in the form of a cast body having the passages 22 and 21 therein to which the respective conduit members 2i and 28 connect by the use of vsuitable hose fittings. The forward end 1I of the passage 21 is downwardly and rearwardly.curved so that the stream of air and granular materials, such as sand and gravel, are directed into the path of movement of the blades 5I, as indicated by arrows 12. In a like manner, the forward end 13 of the passage 22, lying on the outside of the forward end 1I of the passage 21, curves downwardly and rearwardly so as to spray the liquefied binding material, such as asphalt, into the path of movement of the blades 5I, as indicated by arrows 14. The mouth 15 of the passage 22 may be adjusted in width by use of a valve plate 15 which works in a slot 11 and has screws 18 for moving same. 'I'he materials delivered through the passages 22 and 21 are struck by the blades 5I and impelled outwardly through an opening 80 in the head, as indicated by arrows 8|, these materials being intermixed and adhering in the form of a coating I5 on the object which they strike. Heating of the blades is for the purpose of preventing the viscous binding material from adhering to the surfaces thereof. In addition to this heating means for preventing adhesion of materials to the blade members 5I, I show a means for lubricating the surfaces of the blades before they reach the point at which the materials are delivered into the path of movement of the blades. This means, as shown in Figs. l, 2 and 4, comprises a container 82 for a suitable liquid. Where tar is used as a binder, the liquid placed in the container 82 may be a light hydrocarbon such as kerosene. From the container 82 a hose 83 extends to the head I2, where it connects to an inlet chamber 84 which communicates through an opening 85 with a passage 85 having a mouth 81 communicating with the interior of the applying headl2. I'he lubricating fluid delivered through the hose 83 into the inlet chamber 84 is picked up by a blast of air issuing from a nozzle 88 which is fed by air from an air hose 80. thus causing a spray of air and lubricating fluid to be delivered through the passage 85 and the mouth 81 thereof into the path of movement of the blades 5I so as to exert a scouring action and thereafter coat the surfaces of the blades with lubricant just prior to the time at which the blades engage the materials issuing from the passages 22 and 21.

The conduit 2I is preferably a metal hose and has heating means included therewith for keeping the fusible or liqueflable solid, such as asphalt, in fluid condition while being carried from the container I1 to the delivery passage 22 of the delivery member 42. This heating means I show in Fig. 5. The conduit 2I is surrounded by an electrical heating element 82 enclosed in a suitable wall of insulating material 83. Although I prefer to employ as a binder a tar, such as asphalt, and reduce same to liquid state by application of heat, my apparatus may be employed to use a binder in liquid form and having a solvent therein so that it will readily harden when exposed to the air. Such s liquid might be a mixture of tar and a light hydrocarbon product.

As shown in Fig. 1, the container 82 is connected through a valve 94 and piping 95 with the pipe 2l which leads to the pump Il, this providing means in my apparatus for thoroughly cleaning the pump, the conduit 2|, and the passage 22 of Fig. 2 when it is desired to shut down the apparatus." 'I'he container 82 is placed under air pressure through an air pipe 96. By closinga valve 91 in the pipe 20 and opening the valve 94, the hot asphalt may be forced out of the pump it, the conduit 2l, and the passage 22,. A continued flow of fluid fr`om the container l2 will then wash out these members, leaving them in condition for resumption of activities at any time without necessity of cleaning out clogged passages.

I claim as my invention: Y

1. A device of the character described, including: a head; means for supporting said head; means for moving a viscous mixture of granular solids from said head to an object to be coated; and a delivery member for delivering the ingredients of said mixture to said head, said delivery member having an air passage for carrying a stream of air and an ingredient of said viscous mixture into said head, a passage for carrying Aanother ingredient of said viscous mixture into said head, and a e for a flow of fluid to lubricate said means for moving said mixture from said head.

2. A device of the character described for applying protective coatings, comprising; a container for a viscous material; a conduit leading from said container; means for heating said viscous binding material in said container; means for forcing said viscous material through said conduit; a container for granular materials; an air hose; means for forcing a blast of air through said air hose; delivery means for introducing granular materials into said air hose from said container for granular materials; an applying head connected to said conduit and said air hose adapted to receive v,and combine said viscous and said granular materials; and a rotor carried by said head having blades adapted to bat said combined materials against an object to--be coated therewith.

3. A device of the character described for applying protective coatings, comprising: a container for a viscous fluid; a conduit leading from said container; means for heating said fluid in said container; means for forcing said fluid through said conduit; a container for grang ular materials; an air hose; means for forcing a blast of air through said air hose; delivery means for introducing granular-materials into said air hose from said container for granular materials; an applying head connected to said conduit and said air hose adapted to receive and combine said viscous nuid and said granular materials; and a rotor carried by said head having radial blades adapted to bat said combined xvr'iiattlerialsagainst an object to becoated there- 4. A device of the character described, including: a head; a support for said head by which it may be maintained in position adjacent to a receiving surface; delivery means for feeding ingredients of a viscous mixture to said head; a rotary member in said head; radially disposed blades on said member for casting said viscous mixture from said head against said receiving surface; and Walls forming a passage in said head adapted to supply a fluid for lubrieating said blades.

5. A device of the character described, including: a head; a support for said head by which it may be maintained in position adjacent to a receiving surface; means for feeding ingredients of a viscous mixture to said head; a. rotary member in said head having blades for casting said viscous mixture from said head to said receiving surface; and means disposed within said blades for heating the surfaces thereof.

6. A device of the character described, including: a head; a support for said head by which it may be maintained in position adjacent to a receiving surface; means for feeding ingredients of a viscous mixture to said head; a rotary member in said head having blades for moving said viscous mixture from said head to said receiving surface; walls forming a passage in said head for lubricating the surfaces of said blades; and means disposed in said blades for heating the surfaces thereof.

7. A device of the character described, in-v cluding: a head; a support for said Ahead by which it may be maintained in position adjacent to a receiving surface; delivery means for feeding ingredients of a viscous mixture to said head; a rotary member in said head having blades for moving said viscous mixture from said head to said receiving surface; electrical elements disposed in said blades for heating the surfaces thereof; and conductors for supplying electric energy to said electrical elements.

8. A device of the character described, in-

cluding: a head; a support for said head by which it may be maintained vin position adjacent to a receiving surface; delivery means for feeding ingredients of a viscous mixture to said head; a rotary member in said head having blades forming plane surfaces for moving said viscous mixture from said head to said receiving surface; 'electrical elements disposed in said blades for heating the surfaces thereof and walls forming a passage in said head for lubricating said blade surfaces.

9. A device of the character described, including: a head; a support for said head by which it may be maintained in position adjacent to a receiving surface; means for feeding viscous and granular materials to said head; a rotary member in said head; walls forming blade members having plane surfaces for moving said materials from said head to said receiving surface; a lubricant source of supply; and walls forming a passage in said head for supplying lubricant 

